UK Sprints - State of Play

[carterhatch]

The sprints are yet another set of events where GB ladies are showing the way. Dina Asher-Smith has carried British female sprint hopes for a number of years now and we will see at the Tokyo Olympics whether the win at the World Championships was just a case of last woman standing, or, that she really is a legend in her own life time.

I always get the impression that Daryl Neita looked on enviously at DASHER’s spotlight, but this season she has started to challenge that 11-second barrier and if all goes well will become only the second Brit to go under this benchmark. Meanwhile her contemporary Imani Lansiquot will also aim to rewrite her PB.

Together they will form a very strong relay team along with one other, most likely Asha Philip, although it is a pity that Desiree Henry isn’t going to Tokyo as, if it were not for injuries, she would surely be spoken of in the same breath as DASHER. Indeed we are now witnessing four of the all time top five 100m GB ladies.

A season or two ago Women’s 200 was on the brink of being very, very exciting. DASHER, of course, again leads the way, and lest we forget she is the only Brit to run sub 22. However, with the sudden loss of form of Amy Hunt, Jodie Williams (rightly) focusing on 200, Shannon Hylton going AWOL, Bianca Williams returning from having a child, and Desiree Henry from injury, it has been left to Beth Dobbin to be the main supporting act.

There is a bunch of Under 17s that one could enthuse about, but I have watched athletics long enough to know that potential is one thing, delivering at the highest level is another, as Kristal Awuah is discovering.and there is a long list of what could-have-beens (didn't Vernicha James beat Alison Felix to win the world juniors?) but I do hope the Olympics inspires the next generation.

I will urge another forum user to give their take on the men’s sprints...

[RunUnlimited]

Vernicha James beat not only Allyson Felix at that 2002 World Junior 200 m final, but also another future American sprinting legend, former World and Olympic 400 m champion, Sanya Richards-Ross!

James is one of the greatest "what-if's" in British athletics history.

[Christy93]

Dina out of Gateshead as a precaution with a "tight hamstring". Perhaps we now have an explanation for the lack of racing some of us were questioning. Hopefully not too serious, but far from ideal with the way her rivals are tearing up the track.

[Occasional Hope]

Oh dear, that's a worry.

[drobbie]

Dina out of Gateshead as a precaution with a "tight hamstring". Perhaps we now have an explanation for the lack of racing some of us were questioning. Hopefully not too serious, but far from ideal with the way her rivals are tearing up the track.

i suspect shes at it, wants to fly under the radar until the olympics

[Christy93]

Possible, but that has never been her style before.

[SprintRelayFan]

I agree it’s very concerning - I still remember the 2014 final in Zurich 😢

[philipo]

i suspect shes at it, wants to fly under the radar until the olympics

DAS will have run two 200m races before Tokyo assuming she is fit to run.Very tough call for her to be on Doha form now. After SMU's run the other day, and a possible problem with Gabby Thomas as well as ETH not entirely convincing, one can forsee a highly competitive race in Tokyo and we have to take the Jamaican 200m champion and Jackson as serious gold medal chances.

[drobbie]

i think she will surprise you

[carterhatch]

Bumped the thread forward for a variety of comments.

First, my inner philipo has taken a look at the men's 100m at Birmingham this weekend [the actual diamond race] and fears that, of the Brits involved, one won't start as a 'precaution', one will be DQ'd for a false start, one will get injured during race, and asking all 4 of them to run a relay, also on the day, is just asking for trouble...

Meanwhile, a nice article about Adam Thomas - I hope he stays fit and achieves a PB.

https://athleticsweekly.com/intervie...am-1039956126/

Finally, an observation about the ladies sprints... of that young cohort that showed good form indoors (Nia W-G, Joy Eze, Success Eduan) , none seem to have raced 100 so far this season... exam priorities maybe, but I was looking forward to seeing them run...

[carterhatch]

Of course I dont want any of my comments to come true and I will be the first to applaud a fit and healthy finish for all 4 [preferably sub 10] - it was a tounge-in-cheek prediction based on a worst case scenario but, sadly, all too often occurence among those in question. Perhaps the reference to 'my inner philipo' does not make this clear enough ...

[Occasional Hope]

The young athletes you mention have run at least once each outdoors as RunUnlimited mentions below, but not quite at their best yet: https://thepowerof10.info/rankings/r...ex=W&year=2022

[RunUnlimited]

[QUOTE=carterhatch;n42470]Bumped the thread forward for a variety of comments.

First, my inner philipo has taken a look at the men's 100m at Birmingham this weekend [the actual diamond race] and fears that, of the Brits involved, one won't start as a 'precaution', one will be DQ'd for a false start, one will get injured during race, and asking all 4 of them to run a relay, also on the day, is just asking for trouble...

Meanwhile, a nice article about Adam Thomas - I hope he stays fit and achieves a PB.

https://athleticsweekly.com/intervie...am-1039956126/

Finally, an observation about the ladies sprints... of that young cohort that showed good form indoors (Nia W-G, Joy Eze, Success Eduan) , none seem to have raced 100 so far this season... exam priorities maybe, but I was looking forward to seeing them run... [/QUOTE]

Eduan has run a hand timed 11.8 and 24.4 over 100/200m in a NAL meeting on 7th May. Eze ran in the North Eastern County Champs last weekend, running 11.72 (+1.3m/s) and 24.03 (+0.6m/s) over 100 and 200m respectively. Wedderburn-Goodison ran 100 and 200m on the 10th of April, but nothing since.

I suspect most are keeping their powder dry until the Loughborough International (where attendance is mandatory for any 100/200m runners wanting selection for the sprint relay squads at the W20s), a key U20's curtain-raiser for many in GB.

[carterhatch]

Thanks, RunUnlimited, I should have checked Po10 before my comment on the young sprinters ...

[Ursus]

This could go in any number of threads but Grauniad interview with Prescod mainly centring on his forgiveness towards Ujah.

[RunUnlimited]

This could go in any number of threads but Grauniad interview with Prescod mainly centring on his forgiveness towards Ujah.

Reece Prescod is a goddamned dumb arse.

Forgiveness? Really?!?

That's how idiots like Ujah can get away with their reckless, calculating behaviour in the first place. Because they are looking for any kind of leniency when they get caught.

IF Ujah is truly remorseful about his shameful act, he should come out and publicly state it, not hide behind (dumb) teammates wanting to give him another chance. At least Dwain Chambers had the brass ones to front up and admit his error after the BALCO scandal, and he dedicated his career to 1) proving his critics wrong and 2) on educating athletes about trying to avoid the same temptations that led to his downfall.

Reece's intervention.... is unhelpful.

[Porkinson]

Reece Prescod is a goddamned dumb arse.

Forgiveness? Really?!?

That's how idiots like Ujah can get away with their reckless, calculating behaviour in the first place. Because they are looking for any kind of leniency when they get caught.

IF Ujah is truly remorseful about his shameful act, he should come out and publicly state it, not hide behind (dumb) teammates wanting to give him another chance. At least Dwain Chambers had the brass ones to front up and admit his error after the BALCO scandal, and he dedicated his career to 1) proving his critics wrong and 2) on educating athletes about trying to avoid the same temptations that led to his downfall.

Reece's intervention.... is unhelpful.

I whole heartedly agree with you about Dwain. I have enourmous respect for the way he handled himself post BALCO. But look at how he was treated by numerous stakeholders (BA, teammantes, the media, many fans) as a results of that.

The omerta is still strong. Say it was a accident, take your punishment and so long as the overall fascade isn't challenged. You will be allowed back into the club. Whilst it's easy to suggest morals should trump this. When your reward structure is as it is, and you may know you are competing in a dirty field that hasn't been caught anyway. I cannot blame an individual for going the route of Dwain.

[RunUnlimited]

That's why I mentioned how Dwain's career post BALCO was primarily one to stuff all those critics words back down their throats in spades, which he did repeatedly.

The thing with Ujah though is that he was tweeting about how he was looking forward to competing in Tokyo and he *still* has up a now-infamous tweet celebrating the winning of that relay silver. The earlier tweets were done in the *full* knowledge that he was doping himself.

The fact that he's gone radio-silent (while he's be rightly crucified on his Twitter page by athletic fans and trolls alike), doesn't help his case at all.

Also, Dwain's journey happened almost 20 years ago. Yet Ujah thought he could still get away with it? What a moron!

[Porkinson]

Dwain definitely suffered personally from trying to fight the good fight.

Athletes are trying to gain every advantage they can now (permitted or not), and there are many grey areas. I have much less faith than you in the system that it catches enough cheaters that would make it moronic to try and get away with it.

If you weigh it up as. Benefits of cheating vs. the risk of getting caught. And then if you do get caught benefits of being silent/feigning innocence vs, telling the truth I blame the entire system for the outcomes we see, rather than the individuals. Though obviously individuals have agency in the own actions.

[Ladyloz]

Very easy for Reece to forgive when he didn't actually lose an Olympic medal

[RunUnlimited]

Exactly.

Now, how about asking the folks who could actually be *bothered* to show up for the relay squad consideration and ended up losing a medal because of Ujah's supreme selfishness? Any thoughts from Zharnel? Nathaneel? Or how about Kilty?

Yeah, I don't think they would be as "forgiving" as Reece is being here.

[Ursus]

Kilty’s already said that he doesn’t think he’ll ever be able to forgive.

Time heals, but this might need quite a lot of it.

[RunUnlimited]

Bringing things back on to more hopeful themes.

The British athletes have been doing the interviewing rounds on the eve of the Birmingham DL meeting and Dina Asher-Smith gave more than a clue to her intentions this season when AW talked with her.

Quote taken from AW's Twitter:

Dina Asher-Smith: "I'd like to double up [over 100m and 200m] at the world championships and then for the Europeans and Commonwealths we'll see how that goes."

Well then, looks like what I suggested would be her path during this season earlier in the year, is coming to pass. Definitely doubling up in Eugene (and with that also the sprint relay), while the Europeans and Commonwealth Games are looking like a case of focusing on either the 100m, or 200m, then the relay, depending on how she's doing physically.

[carterhatch]

Am I the only one who thought that Reece Prescod looked very awkward in the moments leading up to the race... his 'warm up' seemed unusual to me and he appeared very tentative, walking on his heels... anyway, his performance was well below par, and I am starting to doubt he will ever capture anything like the form he once promised [very happy to be corrected]...

one forum user [comment now deleted] took umbrage over a comment I made about the 4 Brits in the 100 ... I was mostly proven wrong, except Hughes got DQ'd - he is making quite a habit of it...

[Occasional Hope]

Sad to say, but I no longer hold out much hope for Reece. I would of course be delighted to be wrong.

[treadwater1]

There’s a clear disparity between running 10.25 in Limassol and then running 10.6 in a diamond league meeting a matter of days later. He needs races to get back in shape, which is where the problem lies, I think he’s been fearful of running too often in the past in case it aggravates an injury

I note he didn’t run in the relay for either of the GB teams